Jacaranda Trees of Southern California

Shortly after I moved to southern California, I was visiting with friends at the First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton. It was early May and the sight amazed me: a street lined with tall, leafy trees and their branches covering the streets in purple. I was from Pennsylvania and I had never seen purple tree leaves.

I lived in Pasadena and I began to notice the purple-leafed trees on those streets as well. They were Jacaranda trees and every spring they produce a spectacular explosion of purple from the buds.

As spring turns to summer, the Jacaranda tree, native to Mexico, Brazil and other countries, offers ample shade with its canopy-like branches and they can even be useful in landscaping commercial buildings and apartment buildings.

But homeowners should be careful in landscaping with the Jacaranda or any other plant simply based on its flowering beauty. It has to have ample room to grow. A professional gardener, and former head of the JerusalemBotanical Garden, describes the Jacaranda tree as growing more than 35 feet in height and up to 20 feet diameter.

My father-in-law has a Jacaranda tree in his backyard in Pasadena with sturdy branches that allow us to hang two swings. His tree is about five feet in diameter.

In researching the fascinating tree, I discovered a forum on iVillageGarden web with a discussion about the challenge of growing Jacaranda trees in parts of northern California. In certain climates, they may be sensitive to north facing or south facing sun and wind. The reader was wondering if the weather was too cool. Yet, other contributors wrote how Jacarandas are plentiful and thrive in the San Jose area.

A responder from South Florida said Jacaranda trees in his part of the country lose their leaves and are bare most of the year.

Another site with good information on this unique tree is Garden Guides.com.

The Jacaranda gives me a feeling that trees, and certain plants, almost have their own personalities. They certainly give a relaxed feeling in the spring and create a memorable ambiance.

And therein lies both the beauty and mystery of landscaping and gardening – selecting the best that nature offers to provide comfort and the chance to appreciate the details of a multi-colored creation.